My Day Will Come!
by Little Tsu
Summary: A glimpse into the past of the upcoming pirate known as Pheonix and her relationship with her uncle, a vastly well known pirate, himself. (#3 of a one/two-shot series)


_Little Tsu: Yes yes, I have other stories I should be workin' on, but damn it! It's hard ta do that when ya get a new idea for another story & ya wanna get it up before ya bloody forget. ._

_So here's another One Piece one-shot. I love the series & ta be perfectly honest, I jus' like the characters' personalities & my OC, Pheonix is a blast ta write. lol_

**My Day Will Come!**

_**{Flashback; 6yrs ago, Kuraigana Island}**_

Kuraigana Island, also known as Gloom Island, had once been the home of the Shikkearu Kingdom. However, a war had broken out and ravaged the kingdom; sending it into ruins. The Humandrills that inhabited the forest had been gifted with the capability of learning from humans by watching them through the conflict that destroyed the kingdom; learning how to fight with weapons and becoming fierce fighters as a result.

That had been a year ago now.

Now, another had taken up residence on the dark and gloomy island, making the castle that still stood standing strong their home. The Humandrills, even with their skill, didn't dare to face this man. However, they did watch from a distance and after five or so months of living there, they still watched the human every now and then...And today was no exception as a few of them watched as the man thrusted his long, curved black blade lightly in front of him; launching the figure that had been pressing against the blade back.

Yelping in surprise and slight pain from landing wrong when they crashed along the ground, they skidded back some before pivoting themselves with their right hand as they flipped back up onto their feet in mid skid. Messy shoulder length blue grey hair fell into and around their faintly rounded face that still had a bit of baby fat to it; their mismatched eyes narrowed in determination despite the sudden slight ache in their ribs now. Up ahead of them by about thirty or so feet, the man that sent them flying held his piercing gold eyes locked with their own sapphire and ruby. His prized sword was held casually at his side as he was barely using any of his strength with the much smaller opponent. Finally clenching their teeth, the smaller of the two yelled out. "Come on, damn it! Why won'cha fight me like you mean it?! I'm not weak, ya know!"

The man that was being yelled at sighed softly as his eyes gently closed. "Pheonix, if I were to fight you like I would an actual opponent, you would not even last a second. Instead, you would have died in that single thrust that sent you flying had I actually put any of my strength into it." Dracule then opened his eyes once again, only to suddenly find the small girl rushing him before leaping up with her sword lashing upward in a diagonal thrust to strike him. Blocking the blow with ease again, he allowed a faint smirk to appear onto his features. She was indeed very young and inexperienced in comparison to himself, but as he gazed into the eyes of his niece, he couldn't help but see a part of himself within her determined, burning gaze. "Again...But this time, try to predict my movements when I go to block."

Thrusting her back again, he watched the small child before him closely. He didn't just see himself within the girl. He also saw his younger brother, who had been killed by some of the higher up Marines. After all, that's what you would be expected to deal with when you lead the life of a pirate. His brother had only been twenty-four at the time he was killed though. Far too young to be leaving the plain of the living in his opinion, but then again, his wife had died even younger still; having died giving birth to his niece, Pheonix. Rather ironic the name. Though the 'e' and 'o' were switched, they had given her the name to represent the immortal firebird, the phoenix itself. His brother had insisted that it would give his daughter the strength she needed to survive through any obstacle that she faced in the future.

As Pheonix came at him once more, Dracule made to block her strike yet again, but in an instant, she suddenly vanished, causing his eyes to widen faintly in surprise. Catching sight of her to the left, he quickly blocked and sent her back once again as she crashed and tumbled along the ground. Turning a bit to face his niece better, his golden eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at her hard. _'What had that been just now? Was that a fluke?...No...That was not just some pure struck of luck...Pheonix is slowly evolving in her skills. She is learning and developing the longer the spar goes on. She is adapting to my movements even though I am barely using any of my speed and strength against her...What a clever niece I have...'_

Watching her slowly pushed herself up onto her lower arms and knees before shifting her left leg up as she rose back up onto her feet, he tightened his grip onto the handle of his beloved weapon as she just stood there with her head tilted down slightly. His piercing gaze studied her somewhat loose stance and her limp arms despite the obviously firm grip she continued to have upon the handle of her own sword, the Kuro Youkai. Her head was also tilted down with her bangs and strands of her hair falling into her face all the more to hide the expression she held as her side was facing him. Just what was she thinking just standing there and in such an unguarded stance? Did she think he wouldn't attack at all during this spar and only defend? Well, he would test to see just what it was that was going through her mind. Without any warning, he suddenly lashed out with his sword in a slightly firm motion, sending slices of wind cutting through the ground in three rows towards his niece. "Never let your guard down in a battle Pheonix!"

Just as the slices were about to hit, it was only an instant, but his sharp eyes had caught it easily. Pheonix's grip on her weapon tightened and in a flash, she sliced through the slices of wind, dispursing them with her own blade as she stood there with her black bladed katana outstretched at her left side and her left leg stretched out a bit to the side as well. She had shifted her stance with her strike so that she was now facing her uncle again; her mismatched eyes gazing heatedly through her bangs at him.

It was right after that, that she pushed forward and charged at Dracule once again before attacking. The older man easily blocked just like always and sent her launched back again. This time, she didn't get back up as she just layed there on the ground while on her back as she panted for breath. Her gaze stayed locked upon the constantly darkened, gloomy sky while her left hand continued to remain closed around the handle of her own precious blade. As she layed there though, she sniffed slightly as she fought back the tears that threatened to well up and fall from her eyes. "D-Damn it...I still can't even put a mark on you."

Dracule Mihawk sighed softly at hearing the words that escaped from his little niece's lips before lifting his sword and slipping it back into its resting place upon his back. "You are unable to mark me simply because you still lack the proper training. You are young Pheonix; only nine-years-old. You are far too inexperienced still to do any sort of damage to me. Hone your skills and use what training I will teach you to the best of your determination. Use that will of yours to push through all your obstacles and when you are truly ready, I will gladly face you as a true opponent and not hold anything back. Do not let anyone stand in your way until that day comes Pheonix." With that, he turned around and headed towards the castle to fix himself a cup of tea and relax in his favorite chair.

As he did though, he heard his niece's voice ring out loudly behind him from where she still layed upon the ground.

"I promise! I'll beat you someday Uncle Mihawk! I swear it, so you better watch out from now on! My day will come!"

He didn't quite know why,...but hearing those words made him strangely swell with pride. He definately saw his deceased brother with her...

_**{End Flashback; Navy Headquarters}**_

So many pirates had arrived in the efforts to save Portgas D. Ace from his execution. The entirity of the Whitebeard Pirates, his younger brother, Luffy, many random pirates that had also escaped from Impel Down, even...

Shaking his head as his piercing golden gaze watched closely to all the battles below, he seemed to wait for a moment in joining in the fray of the bloodbaths; his gaze having landed on one figure in particular. A loud, determined cry escaped this person's lips as they easily blocked the attacks from multiple Marines head on before suddenly erupting in a furious blaze of black flames that sent everyone around her flying in all directions; her black bladed sword outstretched at her side with black flames licking all around the edges of it and her body. Even at the distance she was at from the scaffald that he stood upon with the restrained Ace on his knees beside him, he saw the fury and undetered fire of determination within her sapphire and ruby gaze.

As Dracule Mihawk watched her though, the words that she had said all those years ago echoed through his mind. He could tell that she wasn't as strong as she could be just yet. Pheonix was still only fifteen at present, but...he could see it in her eyes and within her movements as she easily fought through the masses of soldiers that dared to stand between her and her goal.

_~"I promise! I'll beat you someday Uncle Mihawk! I swear it, so you better watch out from now on! My day will come!"~_

She was well on her way and he realized, with well hidden great pride, that her day would come sooner than he had initially thought.

_'...She truly is your daughter...Lucian...'_

**End.**

_Little Tsu: Ok, that was it. A bit shorter than what I usually write most of the time, but I thought this was good look on Pheonix's past & towards the kind of 'bond' she had with her Uncle. I might do one of her bond with her father from before he was killed or do a present one-shot, but she has a flashback or two of her memories of him._


End file.
